United Kingdom's interest payments (current LCU) was 83.89 billion in 2024, the latest year in the World Bank's World Development Indicators. That is up 62.52% from 51.62 billion in 2014 (4.98% a year on average, compounded).
Key figures
| Value | Year | |
|---|---|---|
| Latest | 83.89 billion | 2024 |
| Five years earlier | 50.66 billion | 2019 |
| Ten years earlier | 51.62 billion | 2014 |
| Highest | 109.41 billion | 2022 |
| Lowest | 1.76 billion | 1972 |
| Average since 2015 | 64.91 billion | 2015–2024 |
| First recorded | 1.76 billion |
What the numbers say
In 2024, United Kingdom's interest payments (current LCU) fell 4.9% on 2023 (from 88.18 billion to 83.89 billion).
Across the 30 yearly changes before that (1994 to 2023), the average change was +7% and a typical year strayed about 20.5% from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.6 standard deviations below that average, so it was an ordinary year: it sits within the range of normal year-to-year movement.
On record, the biggest yearly rise was 72.4% in 2022 and the biggest yearly fall was 19.4% in 2023. The numbers show how large and when, not why; for the cause, look at what happened in that country in those years.
From 2015 to 2024 the straight-line trend is upward, about 5.31 billion a year. A straight line explains 55% of the movement over 10 observed years.
Worked out from the yearly values above. How the checks work: standard deviation, z-scores and straight-line trends.
How it compares
In 2024, United Kingdom had the 29th highest value of the 86 economies reporting that year. Higher is not always better: for some indicators the lowest value is the one to aim for. See the full ranking.
Closest to United Kingdom in the 2024 ranking
What this measures
Interest payments include interest payments on government debt (including long-term bonds, long-term loans, and other debt instruments) to domestic and foreign residents. This indicator is expressed in current prices, meaning no adjustment has been made to account for price changes over time. This series is expressed in local currency units.
Limitations: For most countries central government finance data have been consolidated into one account, but for others only budgetary central government accounts are available. Countries reporting budgetary data are noted in the country metadata. Because budgetary accounts may not include all central government units (such as social security funds), they usually provide an incomplete picture. In federal states the central government accounts provide an incomplete view of total public finance. Data on government revenue and expense are collected by the IMF through questionnaires to member countries and by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD).
All 53 values
| Year | Interest payments (current LCU) |
|---|---|
| 2024 | 83,894,000,000 |
| 2023 | 88,179,000,000 |
| 2022 | 109,408,000,000 |
| 2021 | 63,463,000,000 |
| 2020 | 43,516,000,000 |
| 2019 | 50,656,000,000 |
| 2018 | 55,275,000,000 |
| 2017 | 57,835,000,000 |
| 2016 | 50,481,000,000 |
| 2015 | 46,400,000,000 |
Interest payments (current LCU) in nearby economies
- Albania — 54.46 billion (2024)
- Armenia — 313.58 billion (2024)
- Austria — 6.94 billion (2024)
- Azerbaijan — 445.48 million (2024)
- Belarus — 3.31 billion (2024)
- Belgium — 10.62 billion (2024)
- Bosnia and Herzegovina — 488.61 million (2024)
- Bulgaria — 519.73 million (2024)
- Croatia — 1.26 billion (2023)
- Cyprus — 399.4 million (2024)
- Czechia — 104.72 billion (2024)
More public sector data for United Kingdom
- Arms imports (SIPRI trend indicator values) — 609 million (2025)
- Military expenditure (current USD) — 88.98 billion (2025)
- Military expenditure (current LCU) — 71.18 billion (2025)
- Military expenditure (% of GDP) — 2.35% (2025)
- Arms exports (SIPRI trend indicator values) — 702 million (2025)
- Net incurrence of liabilities, total (current LCU) — 203.14 billion (2024)
- Net incurrence of liabilities, total (% of GDP) — 7.03% (2024)
- Net investment in nonfinancial assets (current LCU) — 69.25 billion (2024)
- Net investment in nonfinancial assets (% of GDP)
Reading data like this
Questions people ask
- What is United Kingdom's interest payments (current LCU)?
- 83.89 billion in 2024, according to the World Bank (World Development Indicators).
- How has it changed since 1972?
- It is up 4,659% from 1.76 billion in 1972 (7.71% a year on average, compounded). The highest value was 109.41 billion in 2022 and the lowest 1.76 billion in 1972.
- How does United Kingdom rank?
- 29th highest of 86 economies with data for 2024.
- Is the latest change in interest payments (current LCU) unusual for United Kingdom?
- In 2024, United Kingdom's interest payments (current LCU) fell 4.9% on 2023 (from 88.18 billion to 83.89 billion). Across the 30 yearly changes before that (1994 to 2023), the average change was +7% and a typical year strayed about 20.5% from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.6 standard deviations below that average, so it was an ordinary year: it sits within the range of normal year-to-year movement.
Source
World Bank, World Development Indicators, indicator GC.XPN.INTP.CN, licensed CC BY 4.0. Original source: Government Finance Statistics Yearbook and data files, International Monetary Fund (IMF) Figures are fetched from the World Bank API and refreshed monthly; see the series on data.worldbank.org. The full definition and method are in the World Bank's metadata glossary. Comparisons use the same World Bank release.
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